Morgan Freeman swings into action at BMW Championship 2007. Oscar-winning actor stars in the Pro-Am

Chicago. Oscar-winning actor and golf devotee Morgan Freeman proved to
be one of the stars at the BMW Championship 2007 Pro-Am tournament in
Chicago today, joining a very competitive field of BMW invited guests
and professionals for a round of golf on the Dubsdread championship
course. "It was a thrill to play with Trevor Immelman and our fine
team on such a truly challenging, and really great course. I shot a 92
on the practice day (on the Blue-White course at Cog Hill). But it's a
very different sort of play when you're walking alongside some of the
world's most outstanding players." One of Freeman's signature
roles was in the movie Driving Miss Daisy, for which he received his
second of four Oscar nominations. At Cog Hill Golf & Country Club,
he discussed sustainability with Tom Purves, Chairman and CEO of BMW
(US) Holding corp. Freeman, who won the Best Supporting Oscar for his
superb role in the Million Dollar Baby, came to golf relatively late in
life, but quickly became what he describes as "a bona fide
addict". In a charming article he recently wrote in a Newsweek
Magazine, Freeman noted: "Golf marks a major turning point for me,
because I felt like I needed a change. But I never expected golf to be
its own religion, a kind of spiritual journey." Freeman loves the
way golf is totally absorbing. "When you are aiming at the golf
ball, it's the only thing in the universe of any importance," he
observed before adding: "The bigger point here is that golf is a
good metaphor for one's life ... It's something you always have to work
at; you don't get perfect at golf. It's the never-ending quest for
betterment." Like anybody who has endured golf's ability to seem
almost easy one day and then impossible the next, Freeman said it was
encouraging to watch the top pros like Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Jim
Furyk, all of whom are competing in the BMW Championship. "The
game frustrates them in the same ways as it frustrates the rest of
us," he said. Then, with a wry qualification, he added: "Lucky
for them, they're not frustrated nearly as often." After the
Pro-Am, Purves said the event had been a great experience for all the
participants. "It was exhilarating and humbling to play alongside
some of the world's best players," said Purves, a long-standing
player in his own right. Also in the field of amateurs was 71-year-old
Gary Zimmerman from Hartland, Wisconsin. Zimmerman was the winner of a
unique online contest, dubbed "The Ultimate Foursome," in
which BMW owners were asked to submit essays via www.bmwusa.com
describing which professional player they would most like to team with
and why. Selected on the basis of creativity, originality and
sincerity, Zimmerman's essay won the top prize, giving him first pick in
the Pro-Am draw as well as a trip for two to the BMW Championship with
hotel accommodations and VIP access to tournament events. For further
information please contact: BMW Sport Communications Nicole Stempinsky
Tel: +49 89-382 51584 Mobile: +49 151 174 177 25 Fax: +49 89-382 28017
E-Mail: Nicole.Stempinsky@bmw.de